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Robert’s Rules PowerPoint
Conducting an Effective Chapter Meeting
Using Robert’s Rules to
Maintain Order
and Get Stuff Done
You Know Your Meetings Are Out of Control
When...
 Your sergeant-at-arms requests hazard pay...
 Roll call takes an hour-and-a-half...
 You have so much old business, you never get
to new business..
 The president beats himself into
unconsciousness with his gavel...
Today’s Goals
 Learn how to get the most out of your meetings
in as efficient a manner as is possible
 Understand how ideas should flow into (and out
of) your meetings
 Get the basics of Robert’s Rules to facilitate the
process
Agenda
• Introduction
• Purpose of a Chapter Meeting
• Committees: The Fast Way to a Faster Meeting
• Sample Meeting Agenda
• Introduction to Robert’s Rules
– Types of Motions
– Rank of Motions
– Voting Procedures
– Random Rules
• Closing and Q&A
Purpose of a Chapter Meeting
What isn’t the purpose of a meeting?
Determining who can yell the loudest...
Quoting the CONSTITUTION and
BY-LAWS based on what you sort of
remember them saying...
Arguing over which sorority would be the
best dates for formal.
Purpose of a Chapter Meeting
Get the work of the Chapter done:
• Make important decisions
• Indicate support for committee recommendations (or not)
Provide a forum for members to discuss:
• Concerns
• Serious issues
Handle those decisions which, by our rules,
must be made in the Chapter Hall:
• Officer elections
• Suspensions
• Expulsions
How Do We Make Our Meetings Effective?
 Proper flow of ideas into and out of each
meeting
 Structured agenda based on the flow
 Use of Robert’s Rules to enforce the agenda
The Thing Is...
Chapter meetings are where decisions are made...
But chapter meetings don’t have to be the place
where the majority of the debate and discussion
happen. How?
One word: Committees.
The Value of Committees
New ideas should go to the relevant committee
whenever possible
Allows the committee to review and make
recommendations
Means that an idea brought up for a vote is not
‘new’ to most people
Proper idea flow out of committees minimizes
debate in the chapter hall...
Idea Flow
Individual
Committee
3-5 Men
By the time the
idea reaches
the chapter,
20+ people will
have seen it.
This means
debate and
discussion
will be
minimal.
Admin
7-8 Men
Executive
8 Men
Chapter
Everybody
So we have our ideas, but...
How do we get through them in a meeting without
taking forever?
Answer:
Create and use a detailed agenda...
The Agenda
 Effective meetings have agendas, and stick to
them
 The chapter president should prepare the
agenda following the exec meeting
 Printed copies help keep everyone focused and
on track
Sample Agenda
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
Opening Ceremonies (Formal)
Roll call
Introduction of visiting members/guests
Reading and approval of minutes
Officer reports
Committee reports (regular and special)
Old/unfinished business
New business (referrals to committee)
Proposal for membership
Report of the chapter advisor
Suggestions for the good of the order
Closing Ceremonies (Formal)
Agendas are great, but...
How do we stick to them, and keep the
meeting orderly?
Options:
 Use of extreme levels of force (baseball bat)
 Hold meetings while people are sleeping (quorum
issues)
 Use Robert’s Rules
Robert’s Rules
First thing’s first: Who the heck is Robert?
• Henry Robert, an engineer, crafted a small book of rules to
bring simplified parliamentary procedure to non-legislative
organizations in 1876
• Essentially unchanged ever since
Designed to help, not hinder, decision
making
According to Robert, “The assembly meets to
transact business, not to have members
exploit their knowledge of parliamentary law.”
The Basic Rules
 The rights of the organization supersede the
rights of individual members
 All members and their rights are equal
 A quorum must be present to do business
 The majority rules
 Silence is consent
 Two-thirds vote rule
The Basic Rules
 Debatable motions must receive full debate
 Once a question has been decided, it is out
of order to bring it up again
 Personal remarks in a debate are always
out of order
 The presiding officer’s role should be
respected
The Presiding Officer
 Be on time and start on time
 Be organized and prepared
 Take control of the floor
 Be impartial
 Be precise
 Be focused
Expediting Business
 Use general consent
 Refer to a committee or entertain a motion to do
so
 Assist in phrasing of a motion
 Restate the motion periodically
 Allow motions to be withdrawn
 Stop dilatory tactics
Types of Motions
• Main
• Secondary
– Subsidiary - Their purpose is to change or affect how a main
motion is handled, and is voted on before a main motion.
– Privileged - Their purpose is to bring up items that are urgent
about special or important matters unrelated to pending
business.
– Incidental - Their purpose is to provide a means of questioning
procedure concerning other motions and must be considered
before the other motion.
Making and Acting on a Motion
1. A member requests the floor
2. The floor is assigned
3. The motion is made and seconded
4. The Chair states the motion
5. Debate is held
6. The Chair puts the motion to a vote
7. The Chair announces the results
Important Points
Main Motions...
•
•
•
•
Require a second (except for committees)
Must be debated.
Can be amended
Require a majority vote (in most cases)
Other Points...
• The chair can require long motions be submitted in writing
• The maker of a motion has the first right to speak on it
during a debate
• A member can vote against his own motion but cannot
speak against it
Important Points
Other points continued…
• A member can vote against his own motion but cannot speak
against it.
• A member can modify his own motion before it is stated by the
Chair. He can also offer an amendment after his motion has
been stated by the Chair.
• A member can withdrawal his motion up to the time it has been
stated by the Chair, and after that he must have permission of
the group.
Out of Order
Always rule as “out of order” motions that...
 conflict with the law or the bylaws.
 repeat the same question on the same day.
 conflict with an already adopted motion.
 appear dilatory, rude, or frivolous.
Subsidiary Motions and “Rank”
Previous Question
(call for the vote)
Limit Debate
Postpone
to a specific time
Commit
or Refer
Amend
A Main Motion
Subsidiary Motions
Two other motions
• Postpone indefinitely – Lowest ranking
– Can kill a motion, but is used to test the strength of
the motion.
• Lay on the table – Highest ranking
– Should be used as a courtesy to set aside a question
for a period of time.
– If it’s used kill or avoid a motion, it is out of order.
Amending a Motion
Amendments can:
•
•
Add words or phrases (or delete them)
Replace words or phrases
Amendments must relate to the motion
Process:
•
•
•
Amendment is made and seconded
Debate is held
Question is put to a vote
Remember:
•
•
Multiple motions may be on the floor but only one
question.
passage of an amendment does not
pass the underlying motion
Amending an Amendment
 Possible to amend an amendment
 Same process for approving the
amendment
 Approval of the amendment to the
amendment changes the amendment but
does not pass the amendment or the
underlying motion
 Confused yet?
 Can you amend an amendment
to an amendment?
NO
Privileged Motions
• Question of privilege - Privileged motions do not relate to the
matter at hand, but are of a general nature -- they are not debatable
and require immediate consideration.
• Recess - A motion to recess is to temporarily suspend the meeting.
This motion requires a second, may be debated/amended only as to
duration, and passes with a simple majority vote.
• Adjourn - A motion to adjourn must be seconded, cannot be
debated, cannot be made while someone else has the floor, and
passes with a simple majority vote.
Incidental Motions
•
Point of Order - used when one believes the chair is making an error
relative to the rules. The Chair can consider the point and, if he agrees, go
along with it. No vote is required.
•
Appeal - the decision of the Chair on such matters is appealable by the
body of the group -- such an APPEAL requires only a simple majority to
pass.
•
Point of Inquiry - used to ask the Chair (or the parliamentarian) about
proper procedure for a pending matter. To dispose of this motion, the
answer is provided.
•
Division - used to request a verification of a voice vote. It is not debatable
and requires no discussion. One member of the group may demand a
verification, at which point the chair requests a roll call
vote or show of hands.
Restorative Motion
Allow a group to change its mind
Rescind
• Out of order if an action has happened due to a vote.
• Needs to be seconded.
• 2/3 to pass unless communicated in the previous meeting.
Reconsider
• Only a person who voted in the majority can make the
motion.
• It has a time limit of the same day
Voting
Types of voting
 Majority
 Super majority
 Plurality
Voting
Methods of Voting
Voice vote.
Rising Vote – Show of hands.
Ballot vote.
General Consent.
Proxy vote
Mail vote
Electronic Vote
What if there is a tie? What action should the
chair take?
Electronic Meetings
Not based on Robert’s Rules.
Your Bylaws must state electronic
meetings/voting can occur.
Nobody may speak twice until all have been
given a chance to debate.
Email Voting
Virtually every state has ruled that email
meetings are not valid.
Robert’s Rules of Order states that simultaneous
deliberation is essential to holding an effective
meeting.
A lot of experts do not suggest using email for
meetings or voting.
Chat Rooms
Make sure you have a way to confirm those in
the chat room are really them.
Do not use for sensitive materials.
Good for small informational meetings.
Conclusions
 Effective chapter meetings are short, efficient,
and get things done without debate or
controversy.
 The use of committees, a detailed agenda, and
Robert’s Rules can help make your meetings
more effective.
 No meeting will ever run completely by the book,
but the closer you get, the better off you’ll be.
Q&A
Thanks for your attention!
Robert’s Rules PowerPoint